The number of ATMs has fallen since 2008, and since then has gone down 13% to 7,569 (machines). That's 450 ATMs per 1.000,000 Dutch. In other wester European countries is the average much higher according to the paper, about 780.

The number of bank-buildings is also dropping fast. The number of branches fell 30% in the last few years, to 2,466 last year. This trend is expected to continue, due to the Rabobank announcing that it plans on closing half of its branches.

(Rabobanks are more common than other banks in the more rural areas... it began as a farmers' co-op bank.)

I think this is important because of how it makes Internets less of "something nice" or extra but an integral part of daily life. Something to think about when Internet, or speedy internet, is still not readily available to everyone, and the accessibility of web sites becomes more important.

ronpat
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2013-03-18T19:43:44Z —
#2

Puzzled. If ATMs and branch banks are becoming fewer in number, how do people obtain cash from their accounts? Does that imply that cash is on the wane and plastic money is growing?

bbolte
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2013-03-18T21:40:04Z —
#3

ronpat said:

Puzzled. If ATMs and branch banks are becoming fewer in number, how do people obtain cash from their accounts? Does that imply that cash is on the wane and plastic money is growing?

that would be my guess. I'm a cash person, I always make sure I have some around, less of a paper trail on me. But I've noticed over the last few years that I'm definitely in a very tiny minority. Rarely does someone else I'm with at lunch or something pay with cash.

Stomme_poes
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2013-03-20T08:59:07Z —
#4

They're trying to encourage more bank-related anythings to be done via internet, also many are stopping with paper statement mailings.

Usually if there's an ATM in a small town, it's near a branch affiliate building. When it's not, the bank the ATM works through is responsible for its maintenance, which costs them money.

They used to push something called ChipKnip, where your bank card had a sort of separate mini-account on it specifically for small amounts, where they wanted every shop no matter how tiny to have a ChipKnip reader. This was removed recently from the dual-card readers, but ChipKnip unfortunately remains usually the sole manner (besides coins) to pay for parking in a street meter. Bleh.

I'm also a paper money person, but I live above a shopping square so we have an ATM there. They are still relatively common in shopping areas, especially where there are markets, where vendors don't have any card-reading machines.

For small towns the banks simply want to save costs and are willing to demand people drive out to main offices the next city over to get cash.

DoubleJM1
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2013-03-31T23:07:34Z —
#5

Interesting. I always like having some cash on hand. I can't imagine ATMs disappearing for good.

ralphm
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2013-03-31T23:27:55Z —
#6

Don't know about other countries, but most times I use my eftpos card in a supermarket or similar, I'll be asked "cash out?" (as well as "fly buys?" etc ... just about anything but "fries?"). I find it kind of annoying, to the point where I often just say "no cash out, thanks" before I'm asked ... although the checkout guy/chick usually asks anyway. :rolleyes:

Is this an option elsewhere? It basically means that many stores themselves are ATMs ... even in small towns around here. Sure, you can't just get cash out without buying something, but it's not too hard to think ahead most of the time. I normally use cash for purchases anyway, because I hate fumbling with a card, typing a password, waiting for approval etc.

Another routine question I hate to get each time is—"check, savings or credit?" Poor guys must get sick of asking that 1000 times a day. Once I handed a checkout girl a $20 note, and she tiredly asked—"check or savings?" ...

molona
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2013-04-01T10:06:24Z —
#7

@ralph_m;

We don't have anything like that in Spain. I know that in UK you can pay with a cheque, even if you have to pay only one pound. I didn't know that it was similar in Austrailia.

Here you can pay with debit or credit card if the amount is over 5 euros (it depends on the store, it may be 10) and cash for small amounts.

Also, most big stores can't offer loans or credit cards (there's just one that can do it) and none of them can offer any type of accounts (savings or check). Only banks can open and operate accounts, no one else.

This means, of course, that you can't get any cash out if you go to the supermarket.

ralphm
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2013-04-01T11:52:38Z —
#8

molona said:

you can't get any cash out if you go to the supermarket.

Wow, that's interesting. It's just taken for granted here.

molona
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2013-04-01T12:02:09Z —
#9

ralph_m said:

Wow, that's interesting. It's just taken for granted here.

Diffetent countries, different systems... another thing that you can't do in the supermarket is paying with a cheque :lol: (well, I do not know any store that will accept a cheque at all)

But in UK everybody accepted them.

ralphm
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2013-04-01T12:37:49Z —
#10

molona said:

another thing that you can't do in the supermarket is paying with a cheque

Yeah, I should have spelled it "cheque" around here, but wotevah. It doesn't actually mean a cheque as in a piece of paper, btw, but a cheque account, which is some kind of bank account similar to a savings account. We certainly don't pay the supermarket with an old-style, physical cheque.

fastreplies
—
2013-04-06T00:01:59Z —
#11

Stomme_poes said:

Something to think about when Internet, or speedy internet, is still not readily available to everyone, and the accessibility of web sites becomes more important.

And that is real problem for older folks who are Internet illiterate, never had computers and because banks has been closing branches they are making older folks travel extra milesto get old fashion service.

I remember waiting in line for old guy to pay by interact for at least 5 minutes before he figured up how to use it.

fastreplies

felgall
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2013-04-06T00:52:08Z —
#12

molona said:

Also, most big stores can't offer loans or credit cards (there's just one that can do it) and none of them can offer any type of accounts (savings or check).

Most stores in Australia don't offer their own accounts either - the EFTPOS machines in their store are attached to thir bank and the three choices of how to pay relate to the account that you have with your own bank that you want to withdraw the money from. All three options can even draw from the same bank account with only the path the money takes to be transferred and the associated fees being different. For example I always say credit because that option means I don't pay fees (unless the store charges extra for credit) while I have to pay a per transaction fee for the other two options even though all three options are attached to the one account.

ralphm
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2013-04-06T02:11:53Z —
#13

felgall said:

I always say credit because that option means I don't pay fees (unless the store charges extra for credit) while I have to pay a per transaction fee for the other two options even though all three options are attached to the one account.

Hm, I'll have to check that. I've never been aware of paying fees, but I don't take much interest in this stuff. Thanks for the tip, anyhow.

felgall
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2013-04-06T02:23:32Z —
#14

ralph_m said:

Hm, I'll have to check that. I've never been aware of paying fees, but I don't take much interest in this stuff. Thanks for the tip, anyhow.

It varies between the different banks. It just happens that the one I am with only charges fees on EFTPOS transactions and by selecting credit they process it as a free credit card transaction instead.

There are some banks that charge fees for both and some that only charge for credit. There are even some that don't charge for either - thinking of moving my account to one of those soon.

So it all depends on who you bank with.

ralphm
—
2013-04-06T02:28:00Z —
#15

I'm pretty sure mine doesn't, but I'm going to double check, anyhow. I've certainly never noticed any fees listed, nor have the purchase prices been listed as higher than what I paid in-store. (But I'm sure there are plenty of sneaky ways to slip in fees here and there.)